Removable shelf



Aug. 14, 1951 G. c. HARBISON REMOVABLE SHELF Filed Jan. 18, 1950 Inventor. George; QHarbison,

\ His Attorney.

Patented Aug. 14, 1951 REMOVABLE S'HELF George C. Harbison, Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January 18, 1950, Serial No. 139,249.

This invention relates to removable shelf structures and, in particular, to a removable shelf of the type located inthe food storage compartment of a household refrigerator.

The housewife, in arranging her food for storage within a refrigerator, occasionally faces the problem of nothaving storage space of adequate height to holdthe articlev she wishes to store. For this reason, removable shelves are frequently provided in the'food storage compartment of houshold refrigerators. However, some removable shelves have been found objectionable for the reason that inremoving'an article from an area below the removable shelf, for example, the article might accidentally hit the removable shelf anddislodge it from itssupports.

It is an object of this invention to provide animproved removable shelf for a refrigerator.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a removable shelf that is securely locked in place until it is intentionally removed.

In carrying out theobjects of this invention, a removable shelf structure is provided wherein the removable shelf is supported by an adjoining fixed shelf. The removableshelf must be tilted to a substantial angle before it can be detached from the fixed shelf.

Further objects and advantages ofv this invention will become apparent and the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawing and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be, pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front. elevation view of a portion of the food storage compartment of a refrigerator having the improved removable shelf positionedthereinyFig. 2 is a plan view of the connection between the front portion of the removable shelf and the stationary shelf; Fig. 3 is a front elevation view, partly in section, of the connection between the removable shelf and the fixed shelf in the assembled position; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3

showing the removable shelf in a partially removed position.

Referring to the drawing, a refrigerator I is shown having an outer shell 2 and an inner shell 3 separated by conventional insulating material 4. A plurality of shelf supports 5 are secured to the inner shell 3 of the refrigerator. Each support comprises a base 6 and an extended portion 1. Normally, a shelf would be maintained in a horizontal plane by supports 5.

2 Claims. (Cl; 211153) A fixedshelf 8, comprising a frame or rod member 9 and rib portions I0, is secured to a plurality of the supports 5 in any suitable manner, such as welding, or it may be removably secured to these supports by a'conventional clip attachment (not shown); A vertical support II is attached to frame S-and'rests on bottom portion [2 of the refrigerator to support the inner corner I3 of fixed shelf 8.

A removable shelf i4, comprising a frame l5 and ribs [6, is placed on, but not secured to, a plurality of the supports 51' Shelf i4 is prevented from accidental tilting or disassembly by securing it in the hereinafter described manner to fixed shelf 8.

The structureof shelf [4 is such that it can be separated from fixed" shelf 8 and removed from the refrigerator only by first tilting it to a substantial angle. Specifically, inner corners l3 and 13a of the fixed shelf'B? are formed, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide identations or shafts l'l which are parallel to, but'not in line with, inner 'portion or section iii of shelf 8.

Inner rod section or portion I 9 of frame l5 of shelf I4-is parallel to section l8 of shelf 82 In its normaI positiOn, when installed in refrigerator I, shelf I4 is so locatedthat inner rod section l9'of frame I5 is only-slightly spaced from inner section I8 of'fixed' shelf 8.

A strap 20 is secured'in any suitable manner, such as welding, to the forward and rearward ends of rod'section [9 of frame 15. Each strap 20, in addition to the portion used for securingit to section l9, includes a horizontally extended portion 2! and a loopedv or hook portion 22. Loopedportion 22 has an inner radius 23 that is equal to the radius of the cross section of the frame 9 of sh'elfB. End '24 of'each strap 20 extends around indentation IT of frame s until'it is past the vertical center line of that portion. It is important that rod section I9 of frame l5 be separated from section l8 of shelf 8 at a distance less than half the diameter of shafts I! on frame 9. If this spacing is used, then looped portion 22 prevents strap 20 from being vertically lifted away from shaft ll of frame 9.

In accordance with the previous description, section I8 of frame 9 is offset from indentations ll of frame 9; consequently, if shelf I4 is rotated or tilted with the center of shafts I! as the rotational axis, until shelf [4 is sufficiently above the plane of shelf 8*, as shown in Fig. 4, then sec tion IQ of shelf [4 is not restricted by section. 18 of shelf 8: from moving towards shafts ll of frame 9. Loops 22 are then disengageable from shafts l1. Thereupon, shelf M can be removed and removable shelves are in the same plane as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, movement of the removable shelf in this plane is limited by the section [8 to prevent disassembly of the removable shelf. On the other hand, referring to Fig. 4, it can be seen that when the removable shelf is rotated to the position there shown out of the plane of the fixed shelf, the distance between the removable shelf and the tip of each hook portion 22 is greater than the thickness or diameter of the frame portion or rod 9 along a line in the plane of the removable shelf in this position, so that disassembly of the removable shelf is thereby afforded.

With the embodiment of this invention as shown, it has been found that a removable shelf can be secured within the food storage compartment of a refrigerator to give adequate support for any food placed thereon. There is little or no danger of accidentally knocking the shelf off its supports and yet the shelf may be easily removed when it is so desired.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art and it is desired to be portion including a first section comprising a.

major portion thereof extending adjacent and parallel to said removable shelf and two spaced sections offset inwardly from said first section in the plane of said fixed shelf, and two straps each secured to said removable shelf, each of said straps including a hook portion partially encircling a corresponding one of said oifset sections, the distance between said removable shelf and the tip of each of said hook ortions being less than the distance between the outer surface of said first section andthe inner surfaces of said offset sections whereby movement of said 4 removable shelf in the plane of said shelves is limited by said first section to prevent disassembly thereof, said removable shelf being rotatable to a second position out of the plane of said fixed shelf and out of line with said first section, the distance between said removable shelf and the tip of said hook portions being greater than the thickness of said frame portion along 'a line in the plane of said removable shelf in said second position whereby disassembly of said removable shelf is afforded.

2. A shelf assembly comprising a fixed shelf, a removable shelf, means for supporting said removable shelf in coplanar juxtaposition with said fixed shelf, said removable shelf including a first rod forming a first bounding frame, said fixed shelf including a second rod forming a second bounding frame, the portion of said second rod along the edge of said second frame adjacent said removable shelf including a first section parallel to the adjacent edge of said frame of said removable shelf and two spaced sections offset inwardl from said first section in the plane of said fixed shelf, and two straps each secured to said removable shelf, each of said straps including a hook portion partially encircling a corresponding one of said offset sections, the distance between said removable shelf and the tip of said hook portions being less than the distance between the outer surface of said first section and the inner surfaces of said offset sections whereby movement of said removable shelf in the plane of said shelves is limited by said first section to prevent disassembly thereof, said removable shelf being rotatable to a position out of the plane of said fixed shelf and out of line with said first section, the distance between said removable shelf and the tip of said hook portions being greater than the diameter of said second rod whereby disassembly of said removable shelf is afforded.

GEORGE C. HARBISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,930,773 Saum Oct.17, 1933 2,091,607 Nave Aug. 31, 1937 2,169,763 Kucher Aug. 15, 1939 2,195,263 Siebert Mar. 26, 1940 2,251,799 Nave Aug. 5, 1941 2,262,578 Ellis Nov. 11, 1941 2,294,155 Boddy I Aug. 25, 1942 2,319,470 Nobles May 18, 1943 2,352,345 Rundell June 27, 1944 

